9/11 Hero Todd Beamer's Son is All Grown Up Now and He's Playing College Football

We were all deeply moved and inspired by the brave passengers of Flight 93 who stormed the cockpit, attempting to wrest the plane from the evil terrorists who had killed the crew and were headed toward an unknown destination on September 11, 2001. By crashing the plane into a field in Pennsylvania, it’s likely they spared a high-value target like the White House or the Capitol, saving the lives of thousands and preserving a national landmark.

Todd Beamer was one of those passengers, a hero whose voice was seared in our memories as he made a call to a GTE airphone operator, asking her to say the Lord’s Prayer with him before he and others tried to take the cockpit. His final recorded words were “Let’s roll!” Thirty-seven passengers, including Beamer, and seven crew members lost their lives in the attack on Flight 93.

Disturbed 9/11 ‘Sound of Silence’ Tribute

As the country tried to come to grips with the horror of the 9/11 attacks, Todd’s widow, Lisa Beamer, was a model of grace and courage. Pregnant with their third child at the time, she spoke bravely about her grief and the Christian faith that enabled her to endure the unthinkable nightmare. She also confidently testified to her husband’s faith and her certainty that she would be reunited with him again in heaven.

Now, their eldest son, David, is playing football at his parents’ alma mater, Wheaton College in Illinois. CBS Sports featured the team in the video below, describing how, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the Wheaton Thunder football team adopted “Let’s Roll” as their motto, and how the words—and Todd Beamer’s courage—have inspired the young men who have played for Wheaton over the years.

“His son’s moved on with his life, despite the fact that he lost his dad. He’s a very strong kid. Just seeing him here shows that America is resilient,” the narrator says on the video. “Todd Beamer’s prayers have definitely been answered.”

Watch the powerful video: